Sunday, August 10, 2008

Ten Ways to Break the Stronghold of Pornography and the Wandering Eye

At times I wonder if there is any sin that entices the human heart and mind as that of sexual lust (sexual desire is fine, lust is a perversion). God created sex. We perverted it. God gave us something wonderful for us to have within the parameters of a covenant marriage between man and wife, but we defile it when we operate outside of His parameters. It's like being offered a prime rib (or insert your favorite meal here) and taking the meal and dunking it into the toilet before consuming it and saying to the world isn't this great.  I have highlighted these 10 pointers taken from the Way of the Master Evidence Bible and slightly modified them.

1. Would you ever take pornography to church and look at it during worship or interact with girls in the way you do away from the congregation? You may as well, because God is just as present in your bedroom and in your school houses as He is in your church building.

2. Face the fact that you may not be saved. Examine yourself to ensure that Christ is living in you (2 Corinthians 13:5). See Romans 6:11-22; 8:1-14; Ephesians 5:3-8.

3. Realize when you give yourself to pornography and sexual temptations, you are committing adultery (Matt. 5:27, 28).

4. Grasp the serious nature of your sin. Jesus said that it would be better for you to be blind and go to heaven, than for your eye to cause you to sin and end up in hell (Matt. 5:29).

5. Those who profess to be Christians, yet give themselves to pornographic material and crude talk and gesturing, evidently lack the fear of God (Proverbs 16:6). Cultivate the fear of God by reading Proverbs 2:1-5.

6. Read Psalm 51 and make it your own prayer.

7. Memorize James1:14, 15 and 1 Corinthians 10:13. Follow Jesus’ example (Matt. 4:3-11) and quote the Word of God when you are tempted (see Eph. 6:12-20).

8. Make no provision for your flesh (Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11). Get rid of every access to pornographic material – the internet, printed literature, TV, videos, and movies. If you have no self control in relationships end them. Stop feeding the fire.

9. Guard your heart with all diligence (Prov. 4:23). Don’t let the demonic realm have access to your thought-life. If you give yourself to it, you will become its slave (Romans 6:16). Read the Bible daily, without fail. As you submit to God, the devil will flee (James 4:7, 8).

10. The next time temptation comes, do fifty push-ups, then fifty sit-ups. If you are still burning, repeat the process (see 1 Corinthians 9:27).